Supplemental Loans

The Office of Student Financial Services suggests that you fully research the loan and lender that best suits your needs. It is a good idea to compare the benefits and costs of several supplemental loans before you apply, as the loan terms can vary. Also remember that it is always in the best interest of students and parents to explore federal student and parent loan options before applying for private loan products. For information to assist you, please review our Researching Private Loans Page.

Effective February 14th, 2010, lenders have new requirements for processing and disbursing private education loans. Check with your specific lender regarding their process (i.e. online or paper) for certification and disbursement. For your convenience, we have listed some of the requirements below.

1. Self-Certification Form: Student borrowers are now required to complete a Self-Certification Form for each private loan or Northeastern-serviced loan application they submit and return it to their lender as part of the loan application process. Each lender will likely provide you with a copy of this form; or you may download the form using the above link. All Self-Certification forms should be sent to the student’s specific lender and NOT the Office of Student Financial Services. For Health Profession, Nursing or other NU serviced Student Loan, the Self-Certification Form goes to NU Loan Collections in 315 Richards Hall ( loans315RI@neu.edu).

A. COST OF ATTENDANCE: The Self-Certification form requires you to report your cost of attendance and estimated financial assistance in Section 2. Please contact our office for assistance with determining your cost of attendance; OR, If you have a Health Profession, Nursing or other NU serviced Student Loan, to find the current cost of attendance we have for you, you may view your "Messages" tab on myNEU under Self-Service, My Financial Aid Status, Messages, Self-Certification Form Message.

2. Active Acceptance of Loan: Student borrowers are now required to “actively accept” the terms of their loan approval before their school will be notified that school certification is required. The lender’s terms for how to “accept” the loan terms can be found on the private loan approval disclosure form that they will provide to the borrower.

3. Right to Cancel: Borrowers and/or cosigners have the right to cancel or rescind a loan offer within 3 business days after receipt of Final Disclosure. During this time, the lender cannot disburse loan funds. This cancellation period cannot be waived in order for funds to disburse more quickly. This may cause a delay in the disbursement of loan funds to your student account. Be sure to apply several weeks before funding is needed.

Anticipated Loans On Your Bill

Keep in mind when calculating how much to borrow that the gross amount of the loan may be reduced by fees charged by the lender. For loan types other than Parent PLUS or Grad PLUS, if your loan is in "anticipated" status (not yet disbursed) on your bill, the amount indicated is the gross amount. Therefore, the amount you owe may actually be higher than what is reflected on your bill.

Direct-To-Consumer Loans

We strongly suggest students make use of other loan options before using direct-to-consumer loans. A student can contact their Financial Aid Counselor to discuss alternative loan options. Direct-to-consumer private loans are not certified by the school. The student supplies enrollment verification to the lender, and the loan proceeds are disbursed directly to the student. Students must ensure that the funds are in their possession on or before the payment deadline for each semester, as they will not appear as “anticipated aid” on the student account statement.